Ninjago5-Shadow of Death
by LadyMarissaGarmadon
Summary: Into the New Year of 2015 & the ninja and company are at peace at last. Until one night, every magical authority in the land are summoned to the Mystic Forest where Zatana Gallen reveals a trio of enemies & the kidnapping of Ellen Bird. Not to mention Lloyd & Lindsy's baby is due soon & he's on edge as it is. Can these ninja ever stop jinxing themselves?
1. Prologue

**Okay... okay... well, welcome to Shadow of Death :) This story was actually almost done like... two months ago but it sucked so I changed things up because I felt it was redundant from what I have already done... that happened with Dark Curse before I started posting that one :) **

**So this story probably will not be updated crazy fast because now I am taking my time to really work on everything at once :) And I think taking a month off from posting any new series was a good thing for me :) **

**I apologize for making you wait a month, but it had to be done for my own sake :) Besides, you guys did get a couple one shots right? **

**So yes, I have this story running with Cursed Bloodline and Soul Spy as at the most, updated twice a week. Raging Wars, my struggling Star Wars AU is at the most three times a month or once a month. It has to be this way. **

* * *

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!" Everyone raised their glasses and drank. Happiness finally kicked in for the members of the team. The apartment was buzzing with music and friends when the clock struck January 1st, midnight.

"To a year of peace!" Lloyd grinned.

"Here here!" Jay laughed.

"You can say that again!" Cole breathed. "We could use more of a break…"

"Well with Lindsy and Lloyd's kid on the way, that would be nice," Jay laid back in his seat with Nya on his lap.

The lights suddenly went out and the friends jumped as did their guests. They all looked around when they heard someone talk, "ALRIGHT! Hands up!" A group had gotten in through the window.

"You're not bright to steal from ninja," Daisie folded her arms with an attitude on her face.

"Ha yea, who cares, you're obviously not a ninja," one rolled his eyes.

"But we are," the friends stood around and glanced at the other. "Don't let the suits and dresses fool you," Kai smirked.

"Wait… you're the ninja!?" the woman apart of the group's mouth dropped. "Django! You said nothing about knocking over ninja! You said they were loaded, that's all!"

"Reina, come on!" the one called Django turned to her, lowering the gun. "I know our plans don't always go well but we can handle these guys! How bad could they possibly be?"

"You guys are not very good…" Nya looked at them, "are you?" She popped her hip to the left, putting her hands on them.

"Hope you don't mind… but you're going to be in a lot of pain now," Zane whipped out his shurakins, smirking. The group swallowed and in one, two, three, their colorful tornados engulfed the bandits and the fell to the floor, tied up.

"Told you!" Reina yelled, turning away.

"Please baby, I can change! I can make better plans!" her obvious boyfriend begged for her attention.

"You guys aren't going anywhere, anytime soon," Dana laughed, holding her spear on the hard wood floor of the living room.

Later that night everyone was sound asleep in bed, much grateful they could sleep later because work was off still. Elsewhere in the shadowy sewers of Ninjago city, three master minds plotted.

"I'm weak, that much is known… but the ninja will never see us coming," the wheezy voice said.

"It took us two months regain strength and strategy; we need to move… it will be a matter of time before Kage the Dark Spirit figures out what happened…" the woman of the three snapped. "I'm tired of waiting!"

"Shh both of you; we will wait out a little while longer. The ninja aren't too bright, trust me," the one with English accent chuckled, his claws folded together. "Where are the other four?"

"Out… no one will recognize them though, we have grown accustomed to the ways of the modern world," the red haired woman assured the other two.

"Good, and once again we three will rule Ninjago as it always should have!" the one with the wheezy voice evilly laughed.

**Okay so I didn't want to say anything in the above note... but I ****_MIGHT _****and when I say might I MEAN ****_might,_****because I am not sure exactly what... **

**But *inhales* since I have really worked hard to improve myself over the past hmmm... two to three months, I have been feeling an urge to rewrite "Their Past, Their Story"**

**Only if you would not want me to, I was going to leave the old one up as well :) It would not be started until late Spring because I have way more time to do such things in Summer and Spring... but I also have my stop motion to work on (I'm half way done with episode 3! Yay! :D) That is being released whenever possible in Summer...**

**So yea... big stuff for me and all of that jazz. Thank you guys for reading and or following and faving :) **

**I am REALLY excited about what I changed from my blander original version... this one is cool because... oh wait, I can't tell you XD not yet anyways, hahaha, oh I am so evil aren't I? **

**So see you guys around :) I hope to get some more one shots... I have this one about it being rainy since you know, I love the rain and it has been down pouring where I live...**

**So have a lovely day and I'll see ya'll around in my other updates! :D **

**~Mar**


	2. Chapter 1

"Bye dad, see you tomorrow," Kai waved and shut the glass door of the shop. He looked back to see his black haired father waving back to him. He red ninja walked another block to find Jay and Nya locking up as well. "Hey you two!"

"Hey Kai!" Nya grinned and waved.

"Man I can't believe it… one week into the new year and we have so much work to do," Jay sighed and finished wiping his black greased hands off on an equally stained towl.

"Come on; let's go meet up with Misty at the café…" Kai nodded and they walked down to the bus stop.

"Oh yea, jury duty… she hates it from the way she never shuts up about it," Jay remembered. His red haired sister talked about it nonstop over dinner the night before. "I think she's done today… it is Friday…"

"I almost wish you got a regular paid job with being a ninja…" Nya looked up at the darkening sky.

"Yea but that's not gonna happen anytime soon. I mean yea, we get 'fan mail' and other gifts like the apartment half off… but it still doesn't matter, we have to work to eat…" Kai sighed. "Now come on guys, Misty said she'd meet us on front of Zane and Skyla's"

The three got on the stopped bus and rode from another three blocks to small café in which their friends owned now. The light blue ninja was sitting out in front, talking with Skyla. She looked over and smiled seeing her brother and husband step off the bus with Nya.

"Hey guys, ready to go home?" Nya asked.

"Yep, we're all done here," Skyla stood up and brushed her long yellow top down and brushed her long pink skirt off. "ZANE! Come on!" She called inside.

"Coming!" the white ninja ran out.

"Yea man, Lloyd called almost an hour ago, he's back with Lindsy and Cole and Dana were already home," Jay nodded.

Only a block away from where they were, the friends walked into the apartment building and went all the way up to the top floor where their other friends awaited them.

"Look who decided to show up," Lloyd laughed. "And here I thought Cole was going to be making dinner".

"It's not funny anymore guys," Cole frowned. "And Dana started cooking…"

"Hmm, because you know you'll burn a hole through everyone?" Zane laughed. Cole looked even unhappier than moments ago.

"Hey sorry but we can't take a chance," Lindsy giggled, stroking her white cat.

"By the way, Caleb and Megan are coming over tonight," Dana stuck her head out of the kitchen only to go back inside to finish cooking.

"Great, it's been a while; they've been taking most of the small jobs catching petty thieves…" Skyla smiled, happy to see their friends again.

"Ha speaking of petty, how about those guys who busted in on our New Year's party?" Lloyd laughed.

"Oh man those two… the leader and the girly girl," Misty laughed harder.

"Yea, they must have been the lamest villains ever…" Kai snickered; lounging out on the living room couch next to Lindsy and her cat, Sprinkles.

Dana walked in, wiping her hands out on her red apron, "Well next to those three mutations the Serpentine came up with!" she sat down on the couch. "What were they?"

"I don't know but I'm happy we don't have to deal with anyone or anything…" Jay yawned stretching his shoulders up.

The front door opened and the gray and dark purple ninjas walked through. "Hey hey," Megan waved. Everyone turned around from their conversation.

"Well hello there Kage," Lloyd teased.

"Is that what we're all calling me now?" Megan rolled her eyes. "I like Megan thanks. You're not all calling Aaron Hikari so put a sock in It before I do it for you," the shadow ninja snapped back at the green. She then smiled and snickered.

"Over your mom now or are we still on that?" Cole looked up.

"I mean, yea she was evil but… she was still my mom," Caleb shrugged. "Dad is a lot better but I catch him looking at pictures often…" he put an arm around Megan.

"Eh who cares? How many times has that woman tried to kill everybody?" Misty shrugged, obviously cold to the now dead woman who was her first big enemy upon joining the team.

Still, everyone was a little sad about the whole thing. Yes, she tried to hurt many people but for a time she was quite enjoyable to be around for her witty attitude and personality.

Dana got up when she heard the oven timer go off on the oven, "And with that awkward note, dinner's read," she said, walking out of the room. The others got up and were seating around their long, mahogany table.

"I didn't know you could cook Dana…" Caleb looked at the darker skinned woman. She shrugged and took off her padded, yellow oven mitt.

"Well, just enough… When I was little, I always did it with my mom, and when I discovered Cole couldn't cook, I had to step up especially since Zane'd need back up," she chuckled. She stopped though when she thought on her mom. She was ten when it all happened, and she never saw them again. She took those times for granted when she thought about. She shook it away and went back into the kitchen and everyone sat down.

"Miss Bird, I suggest we fall back… we don't know where that thing is…" one of the security guards backed up against the blonde in the green turtleneck, pistol at ready.

The two slowly stepped, watching for any signs of movement, their arms ached from keeping their pistols at eye level, ready to fire whenever they thought they saw something.

Ellen looked back at her wingman, "So… Elliot…" she swallowed, "everyone has been evacuated right?" she asked.

"Yea…" he whispered back. "Just like you ordered," he nodded. "No one else but the two of us… and that… thing…"

Ellen kept her pale eyes peeled against the white walls that hung paintings and pictures and to the pedestals with vases and busts. Her eyes fell to the red and teal carpet for any signs of wrinkling as if someone was walking on it.

The anticipation made the two's heart beats quickened as they started circling in the intersection of the four main halls through City Hall. The creature in question did not leave and made it a point to scare these two by killing the three others that stayed behind, those three were also good friends of Ellen.

"Bird?" Elliot looked back.

"Yea?" Ellen frowned. He sounded like he was choking. "Elliot?" she asked again. Now it definitely sounded like he was choking. She spun around; pistol aimed up, but saw as if her friend was being suspended in mid air. "ELLIOT!" she yelled.

She saw the life leave him as he lost air and he dropped to the ground like a rag doll. "My my, looks like it's just the two of us!"

She grabbed the dead man's gun and held it up quickly. "SHOW YOURSELF!" she demanded, choking on her held back tears.

Scale by scale the creature revealed itself. He stood well tall over Ellen. Her heart dropped to her stomach and she turned to run, she went to look back but she ran into someone else, bouncing back and falling directly backwards, her head banged the ground hard.

The pounding headache abruptly started and everything darkened until she fell unconscious.

"Oh look at this one," Cody laughed and picked her up to carry her over his shoulder. "Excellent Pythor," he laughed.

"Twas nothing, now come on… she's knowledgeable in Cast artifacts," the purple serpentine slithered along next to the tall young man. Ellen was passed out, and didn't even know who her assailants were.

**Haha Ellen makes a comeback just to be captured... that feisty little lady XD **

**Happy to get this one rolling! I'm on chapter 9 now actually... **

**Anyways, got any assumptions or ideas bout what's gonne happen next? Haha... I got some funny parts coming XD  
**

**~Mar**


	3. Chapter 2

Caleb and Megan walked through the gates of the monastery, closing them behind them, and locked it. It was dark out now and the two opened the sliding shoji screen doors and walked past the empty loft.

Megan looked at it and swore she could still hear all the happy laughter and cheering that once was heard in that room. Now all was left was Wu, Caleb, and Megan, all alone for most of their days.

"Where have you two been?" Wu abruptly walked out, past them.

Caleb and Megan watched, surprised as he left just as they were returning. "Uh… dad? Is something wrong?" the red haired young man asked.

"Of course there is something wrong!" Wu kept moving forward, ignoring the stupid questions. "If you need me, I will be in the Mystic forest at a special assembly…"

Megan looked back and then started to follow. "If it's a special assembly… I fused with the dark spirit, I can help!" she spoke up.

"And let us not forget I was the protector of the steel weapons?" Caleb folded his arms. "I'm important too".

"Then hurry, let's go, I will not wait for either of you," Wu quickly said. The two ninja followed him swiftly.

Aaron and Ming looked at each other and then at the jewel in Ming's second ring, the peridot one. "Yasmin, Violet, look after Brittny please," Aaron rushed to change from his sleepwear with Ming.

The twins sat up in bed and wiped their eyes. "What?" They both looked beside at their own husbands in bed with them who were still sound asleep.

"Ming and I need to leave… this is a very important matter… all magical superiors…" the older brother sighed.

The young sisters looked at each other, "Excuse you but we were witches of the underworld…"

Ming looked at them, "Yes, but we mean the magical authorities of the good side… you guys don't have authority like that… do you?"

The twins shook their heads. Ming nodded and in a faint green light, the couple disappeared. Violet quietly got out of bed and check on Brittny in her cradle, like what Aaron and Ming wanted.

The tiny brunette with closed green eyes seemed to fidget in her sleep and start to whine, like she knew what was wrong too. Yasmin had gone back to sleep with her husband and Violet picked her niece up, quietly singing to her.

"What are you doing?" Derren turned around, both parents were standing, arms folded. He practically startled him because they could be so quiet.

The oldest son sighed, "I was summoned…" he showed his dark purple gem emit a light that was the signal for help from Zatana.

The two others side glanced each other and raised their own indigo and emerald gems without a word. Derren bit his lip and slipped the gemed ring on his right ring finger. "Fine… let's just go…"

"What about Willow?" Misako looked at the two boys. "We can't take her with us…"

Skyla's eyes popped open and saw her phone light up and vibrate. She looked back at Zane who was still sleeping and quickly picked the phone up and quietly answered.

"Hello?" she yawned.

"Skyla… we're so sorry… but something _really _important came up… we need to leave Willow behind… I'm sure she'll be okay but can you please watch her or… can we drop her off?" Derren quickly said.

"Bring her over; I'll take care of everything," Skyla smiled, wiping sleep out of her eye.

"Thanks". He hung up.

Skyla ran her hands through her long, dark hair and flipped the covers off to stand up. She arched her back upright, feeling sore and slipped her hand around her big bump, the baby was coming in only a couple months anyways. She put her yellow, fluffy slippers on and grabbed her matching pale yellow robe with white polka dots and shuffled out into the living room to wait.

_"Something is happening in the mortal world…" Diella's clear eyes opened with a white glow to them. _

_"What is it?" Ching stood up from her small silver pillow. "I don't understand… what's happening master?" she looked up and over the cream clouds surrounding the light realm. _

_"There is a gathering of the spiritual and magical authorities," The Spinjitsu Master rose. "Something interesting is going to happen…"_

_Diella's ghostly body rose as well as several more walking in. "What is happening…?" A woman with incredibly long brown curls and violet eyes walked in with a long and simple dress. All the ghostly figures wore very simple, pale colored robes or dresses. _

_"Marret… welcome," Anu turned around. She was followed by four more. "Antonious… Kya…" he nodded to each of them. "Anthony Darklis…" he stopped at the young man. _

_"Forgive me master… I failed stopping her…" Anthony bowed, ashamed. "Lilith couldn't be changed…" _

_"Maybe not yet…" the first being smiled and put a hand on his shoulder as he walked past. _

_The woman with the long hair and purple eyes, Marret, looked again at him. "What is happening?" she quietly and gracefully asked. _

_"A gathering… one that has not been seen in many years…" he looked behind her. _

_It was a figure with a silver hood attached to her dress which was draped, concealing half of her face, just showing the tip of her nose and pale lips. She kept her head low, as if in mourning or shame. _

_"We talked about this…" Anthony looked back at the woman with the hood. _

_She lifted her head up and her slender hands reached up, grabbed the hood by the sides and gently lifted it up and back, revealing her once mortal features. "Amelia…" Anu sighed. _

_"She was sorry… I did not condemn her to the darkness like you instructed… I… I am sorry…" Anthony bowed again, ashamed of his actions._

_"I am sorry too," Amelia quickly said. "I asked to stay in the light realm and Marret was protecting my existence… forgive me…" she covered her face and was silent this point on._

_"Why would I be mad at helping a lost soul? Welcome to the light Amelia," the Spinjitsu Master bowed to her. Amelia looked behind him at Diella and Ching, still feeling pangs of guilt from her life. "You are silent now?"_

_Amelia looked up with her only eye now and quickly nodded. "It is okay to speak…" _

_She swallowed and quickly nodded again, trying to find her voice. "I-I…" she looked away. "I never h-had the chance to tell you how sorry I am for meddling with the magical matters… first… first all those years ago… and then in the Underworld and all that followed…" she fell to her knees. _

_"If you are to remain here… you must forgive yourself…" she wiped her eye and looked up. Before her in a silvery green dress and glow was Ching, the child she killed, who was only seventeen, standing above her; hand outstretched? "Because I forgive you…" _

_Amelia took it and rose. "Now that this spirit council has met… let us decide upon whether to meddle with my wife and sons' affairs again…" Anu amusedly said, motioned for the few who had joined them to follow, which they did. _

"Okay…" Zatana looked at everyone as they came in and sat. "Delilah… Galeo… Derren, Garmadon, Wu, Misako, Caleb, Megan…" she looked around. "Wait…"

"What is it Z?" Derren asked, getting a little impatient.

"You're brother silly!" Zatana clicked her teeth together, looking around, looking rather impatient. "Always late to the party…" she shook her head.

"Sorry!" Aaron ran in, holding Ming's hand. "We were on vacation and had to leave Brittny with my sisters," Aaron apologized quickly. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes… one… two… three…" Zatana counted. "Yes… we are all here…" Zatana breathed. "I am so sorry to call you all so dreadfully late but…" she took in a breath. "We are the leading voices of the magical community and have insight… and I would like to know… why Ellen Bird was taken by three people assumed to be dead…"

**Haha remember when I said people who were dead will help the living? Well... you just got your answer my friends XD Yay for dead people who are immortal!**

**Also BTW let's just I like redemption stories... Amelia is not really shown beyond this point because she's still way too meek to talk to anyone else besides Megan's father and pretty much just sits around and watches and that is all I shall dare to say...**

**But... I must say the next chapter was probably one of the funnest chaps to write so far XD **

**So, what will happen? Who will live and who is caught in a shadow of death? *insert evil laugh here* **

**Yep that's all for this update! Thanks for reading so much! I really appreciate it guys ;D **

**~Mar**


	4. Chapter 3

Everyone looked around. What did that mean? The other ten exchanged worried glances that maybe Zatana may have gone a little crazy.

"HEY!" She snapped her fingers quickly to get everyone else to pay attention. "By this… I mean…" she sighed. "We have three ruthless enemies back from the dead… The Overlord… Lilith Darklis… and… well… Pythor the Anacondrai…"

_"Lily… she… she is alive?" Anthony covered his mouth. _

_"Shh…" Diella hushed, extending her hand out to the side where Anthony was standing. _

"So what do you propose oh wise leader?" Garmadon looked at her sarcastically. There was an edge to everyone, not just him. It made Zatana more agitated looking at their tired faces; there were even dark circles under her own eyes.

"I propose we… listen… yesterday evening at seven thirty-three pm, Pythor was caught on security tape of City Hall… the four men with her were brutally killed by him or another man… very tall… blonde hair-"

"CODY!" Megan stood up, startling everyone. She looked around, heart beating fast. "He's my oldest brother… a real jerk too… even when we were kids…" she growled at the memories but put that aside. "He does anything my mother wants… and if she's alive…"

She sat back down and buried her pale face in her hands and rested her head on the table. She didn't want to think of what would happen if this was true. Caleb put a sympathetic hand over her and rubbed her upper back.

"Well how did this happen? You know!? Aren't we supposed to be on watch for this kind of stuff?" Derren growled. He was mainly angry about his girlfriend getting kidnapped by a slimy snake. "Someone isn't doing their job somewhere!"

"Listen, how do you all think I feel about this?" Zatana looked around. "Well!?" she demanded when none spoke up.

"I think you're doing a pretty lousy job of being our leader!" Garmadon pointed his finger at the much older black haired woman.

"Garmadon!" Misako snapped in unison with Wu.

"You leave my wife alone!" Galeo growled back at him with more anger. He slammed his hands on the table as he stood up.

"Grandfather!" Ming yelled at her once great uncle. "Will you all just stop!" Ming was yelling the loudest.

Delilah held her head as more and more started speaking up and shouting. All the voices were echoing back and forth in the stone built room. The several guards outside looked at each other, wanting to know what the raging and fussing was about.

"MY GIRLFRIEND! Okay mom!?" Derren was going at it now with his own mother. "What if dad was kidnapped okay? You wouldn't like it either!"

"He was and I still didn't freak out over it okay!?" she snapped right back. "Now how dare you yell at your mother!" she hissed.

"Just settle down!" Aaron and his uncle's voices were lost in all the shouting. "No need to fight!"

Megan finally stood up with Caleb backing her. "Why wasn't the cave where Lilith's body was sealed off better!? Who's job was that anyways!? This was my mother and brothers and I warned you all!"

"Excuse me missy, but it was my job and I handled it perfectly fine! I can't help it if my powers suck!" Garmadon growled, pointing a finger at Megan who glared back at him with angry blue eyes.

"What did you say now?" Delilah looked at her oldest. "I gave you those bloody powers!"

"Delilah, stay out of this!" Galeo darkly said and she went silent as everyone else was yelling louder in a garbled mess.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" Delilah purple eyes glowed bright scarlet and she was so enraged that she dug her nails into the table and with all her strength she lifted up and flipped it over.

_"That's my granddaughter…" Marret shook her head. _

_"She looks just like you…" Anu mildly smiled. "Temper and all…" _

_"Must have been so strange marrying one of my descendants who was less than a quarter of your age…" Marret folded her robed arms, still watching what was happening below. _

"Mom I-"

"Shut it Garmadon!" Delilah glared at him.

"We-"

"That goes for you too Wu… all of you!" She pointed at everyone in the room. "We failed… okay… we got that… but it isn't solving our problem! What do they want? More importantly… what does Ellen know that we don't that they'd need her?"

"TALK!" Lilith kneed the almost hanging woman.

Ellen choked on air as the wind was kicked out of her yet again in the past five minutes. Her almost white hair had come undone upon kidnapping and she had a bruise on her face and a punch to her cheek from Pythor.

"I…" she wheezed. The others looked up curiously as to what she was going to say, "I… would… never..." she inhaled again. "Tell you filthy… dirtbags, a a thing," she weakly coughed.

Pythor slithered up to her, she shut her eyes and readied for what was to come. Pythor took out his dagger and cut a light slash in her cheek, right over the bruise spot. She didn't expect it and she hissed in pain. Leaving others darkly chuckling.

"All you have to do my dear, is tell us where the artifacts are hidden… okay?" Pythor held her face. "Then you may leave…"

She opened her pale eyes and frowned, spitting in his face. "Abstain her from food and water," the Overlord hissed in anger, "Maybe then she'll talk!"

A young man with messy brown hair and blue eyes looked curiously at her and blinked. Once his brothers, mother, and accomplices were gone he quietly walked over. "Hi…"

"What do you want?" she dryly coughed.

"Here… are you thirsty?" Zach looked around to make sure no one was watching them and lift the cup to her lips. The cold water was almost burning on her dry throat and she almost choked. "I'm sorry…" he set his teeth together.

"Thanks…" she coughed, water dripping down her dirty chin. He dried it with the sleeve of his tunic.

"I'm Zachary… one of Megan's brothers… I know you know her," he offered a smile.

"Why do you follow what you mother says? You don't seem bad like her…" the young woman looked down, closing her eyes and trying to steadily breathe again.

"Kind of have to… I'll be a dead man if I don't…" Zach tried to smile but couldn't.

Ellen's head hung, wishing that someone would help her. Where was her Derren?

**The fight thing was pretty fun to write I think. And... I'm not try to do a love triangle with Ellen, Derren, and Zach if that is what you're thinking... but... well, I'm building on this for later... you'll just have to wait XD**

**So... what do you like? What are you not so fond of? Does Delilah scare you? Because she kind of scares me and I made her... **

**Well that's all for now, I still have other updates to do! **

**~Mar**


	5. Chapter 4

"Willow?" Everyone stared at the girl sitting up, watching cartoons in the living room. It was six in the morning and the ninja were very surprised.

She was in her long pink polka dot nightgown and bunny slippers on the sofa with a bowl of cereal. She had a pretty wild bed head too which made her look all the cuter.

"Hi guys!" she smiled and waved to them.

Skyla sat next to Willow and put an arm around her. "Something was up and we have to watch her…"

"Sky, we have work, remember?" Misty yawned, stretching.

The youngest Garmadon looked up at the yellow ninja who answered, "I said she can follow whoever she wanted around today…"

Willow nodded with a smile, "I wanted to follow you around silly," Willow looked up at Skyla and laughed.

"Well then you better get dressed," Skyla stood up and took her bowl away. The young girl jumped up and ran into her bedroom that had a small case of whatever her mom threw in there for her.

"Lloyd, Lin, what are you two going to do?" Cole asked the two.

Lloyd sighed and hung his head. "Lindsy has been begging me to take her to the mall… of all things… _the mall_," he held his face.

"It isn't that bad…" Lindsy shook her head. "And I told you that we're meeting my brother for lunch," she reminded him. "AND" she wasn't finished. "You know the baby is coming soon… don't you think we should get some stuff for our room?"

Lloyd looked at her bring her hands around her large bump. He gave a half smile because half of him was just as excited as her but the other half was sheer terror because he knew he couldn't let her down. Not like failing that test months back.

Lindsy smiled seeing Lloyd trudge back to their bedroom to get ready. Garret, Lindsy's brother, was the best brother in the world, to her anyways, and it had been a while since she saw her own family. She was around the Garmadons so much she almost forgot about them.

Everyone split to get ready or to grab breakfast; the question of where Garmadon, Misako, and Derren went was still a mystery to them.

In fact the meeting was on hold after Delilah's table flip and rage rant, so everyone went to bed in the lodging wing of the manor. Everyone basically had their own rooms because no need for disputes in the middle of the night over the harsh words said.

Once the sun was high enough that the sky was a deep blue with fading purple and orange, and the stars and moon could no longer be seen; everyone was dreading to continue their meeting so they all remained in bed for as long as possible.

"Morning…" Misako yawned; face half buried in a pillow, her long hair was undone. She turned on her back and brought the covers up over her bare shoulders. It was January after all, and she didn't want to sleep in her regular clothes.

"Morning yourself…" Garmadon turned on his side, facing her, dragging her to his side of the small bed. "I really don't want to go back into that meeting hall…"

"Why? Tired?"

"Uh… no… after my mother flipped that entire, long, heavy, wooden table… without breaking a sweat… and then yelled at me… would you want to go back in there?" He looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

Misako laughed with her mouth shut, "No I suppose that was pretty scary after all…" she pinched his cheek, "My baby Garmy is still scared of his mommy". She teased him, kissing him on the lips.

"EVERYONE UP!" The two went silent and sunk into the sheets and blankets more at the sound of Delilah's ringing voice.

"There goes my plans for you this morning," Garmadon grumbled and tossed the blankets off them, cold air hitting them like a bunch of needles.

_"So it's back to the grind then?" Diella looked down with the white orbs for eyes. _

_"You know you are not fooling anyone…" Anu didn't even look at her; he was watching the others below file into the meeting room in the forest. _

_"Pardon?" Diella asked. _

_"I know that you went blind after Amelia killed you…" he whispered. "You've always been slowly blinding… you had such pretty blue eyes… they paled over time… don't think I did not notice…"_

_"Curse of a bloodline…" Diella sighed. "You are right… I am blind…completely… but I still feel like I can see…" she smiled. "Tell me… Delilah… how is she? And Galeo… and Garmadon and Wu and all their children," she held to Anu's arm for support._

_"They all look well… not a day aged since you left them…" he smiled. "Shh now… they are about to speak…"_

"Now… can we do this again? Correctly?" Delilah looked around the table. Everyone was slumping in their chairs down the long table, quietly nodding.

Delilah curtly nodded with a smile, "Now…" she started. "We know what the problem is… how do we go about this?" She pressed the ends of her long fingers together and drummed them against the other, waiting for the others to respond.

"Well, we have no idea where they are…" Caleb started. "But Megan, your mother had one eye right?"

Megan nodded quietly. She laughed in her mind though, it was almost humorous that both their mothers have or… had… one eye… the same eye actually. "Megan… where was the demon eye hidden?"

"The… the eye that Overlord manifested in when Amelia was restored?" Galeo asked.

"The legendary Demon Eye…" Zatana's hand glowed gold and a book flew out and opened up before her on the table. It was a very old book with yellowed, aged pages and a peeling leather binder.

Inside, on the page opened up, it had a detailed drawing of a wooden looking eye. It looked human except for the subtle diamond shaped pupil and hideous red color of the iris. It looked animal like and deranged.

Aaron took the book, looking at the image, "so this demon eye is not the first… and it probably won't be the last…" he thought aloud. He looked back up, "where is the current one being kept? From when Megan killed Amelia?"

"That, I can show you," Zatana stood up. "Come on…" she sighed and walked outside.

"The demon eye is here…" Lilith looked around. Her eye followed Zatana's quick steps outside on the stone courtyard, being followed by the others. She lowered her seeing eye glass and grimaced. Her oldest and most devious son was next to her on the tree limb.

"So mum…" he smirked. "This is the only reason you joined the merry band of misfits known as Pythor and the Overlord? To grab hold of this eye?"

Lilith laughed, "Oh of course my son…" she laughed. She looked back through and saw the profile of Megan walking; her dark brown ponytail was bouncing along as she walked. The older woman grimaced and lowered the eyeglass again. "Megan is here…" the soft aged lines around her mouth were more pronounced as she frowned more.

"What?" Cody grabbed the eyeglass from his mother and looked through it himself. "The authorities… all of them…" he looked to his left. "What are we going to do mum?" he blinked.

"We shred them to pieces…" she growled and stood up.

"What about Pythor?"

"Pythor is an idiot… who cares what he says?" she growled. "Once I get this item, he can't do anything to me…"

"And if he gets the crown like he said?"

Lilith couldn't say anything. Her oldest son was right. They couldn't do a thing against Pythor, not yet anyways. This made her sigh greatly and she sat back down on the thick tree limb. "Kay… let's go back…" she jumped down quietly and started running back.

"So what do you think is going on?" Misty and Kai were quietly talking. It was still early in the morning and the shop just opened.

The water ninja looked out of the large, open glass windows and looked at the gray clouds. "It's gonna rain soon…" she muttered. Being the ninja of water, she could always tell.

"Morning you two," Kai's father, Dar walked in. "I got a special order I'll be taking so, if anything else comes in, you can handle it?" Kai's father, with black hair with edges of gray in it carried in a coupld of boxes and walked around the corner of the desk into one of the back work rooms.

Kai nodded, "you bet… hey, where's mom?" Kai looked around. Normally his mother, Zurra, would be right at Dar's side, every morning, like a routine. The two were pretty much inseparable.

"Sick…" Dar quietly said.

Kai frowned. Misty snapped her fingers to help him refocus. "Hey firebutt!" she giggled. He looked at her, unhappy. She knew he hated that nickname that she heard Cole use. "Firebutt… where did that even come from?"

Kai leaned back against the wooden front desk, remembering back. "Well… a long while ago… there was this girl, Penny Borg… she's a year younger than me and Nya… that feisty little thing… I was trying to rush her and she snapped that one at me…"

"… Borg?"

"Yea," Kai laughed. "Daughter of THE Cyrus Borg, who was a student and later college under Julien…" The fire ninja turned around, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "I always wonder how they are… them and the two droids with them… they were good friends with Zane…"

The two were taken away from the conversation when they heard the bell on the door clang around, breaking the quietness of the shop. Kai spun around and saw his cousin fiddling about with the small TV they kept in the lobby of the shop. "Daisie?" Misty blinked.

"No time! Watch this!" she puffed even though Darreth's dojo was just across the street, and turned the channel to the news.

On screen was a reporter and in the right hand corner was a screen cap of what looked to be Ellen, tied and gagged from what looked to be security camera feed. Standing next to her was an all too familiar purple serpentine. Kai's face turned in anger at the sight. He was about to bark something when Daisie shushed him.

"We have a new Serpentine issue… government agent, in charge of magical affairs and delegation, Ellen Bird, also known as the daughter of the mayor of Ninjago City, was taken only yesterday. Footage from inside City Hall shows that this Serpentine and his accomplice; murdered four of Bird's team and took her. It is unknown what they wanted from her, but today a representative of the team is here at City Hall".

They went live to the front of City Hall where Ellen's father was confronting a man with messy brown hair tied back in a small ponytail with blue eyes that looked all too familiar to the ninja. Misty frowned, "He looks like Megan…"

Kai shushed her too now and sat and watched more. A hand raised to his jaw mindlessly as he listened to the news feed with great interest.

"My boss will give her back only when he is told where to find several artifacts of magic that is kept in your city's museum… since she is refraining from speaking to us, we pass one offer and chance to you mayor to get her back… if you refuse, she will… she will be shot… right now in her holding cell…" he swallowed after the threat was said.

Call it silly, but Kai and Misty watched the young man's expressions carefully. It appeared that he didn't want Ellen dead and was just as much against it as the mayor himself.

"I would be more than happy to give you what you want to save my daughter…" the mayor started. However he sighed and a hand through his gray white hair, "but… I am not in charge of such things… in fact…" he breathed looking down. "Her own boyfriend and his family are keepers of one item you request… you must talk to him… as for the eye… it is not kept in the city I have no business with magical affairs".

The other looked away, sighed and looked back, "Who is the family that we must take this up with?" He folded his arms expectantly.

Mayor Bird chuckled amusingly, "Oh well… you wouldn't want to mess with them now…"

"Try me old man…" Zachary smirked with mischief in his sapphire orbs.

"Well then," the mayor removed his glasses and wiped them off. He replaced them on his prounounced nose and smiled with strength behind it, "That would be the Garmadons…"

"Turn it off…" Kai gritted his teeth. No one moved. "I said turn it off!" Daisie did as instructed reluctantly but quickly for fear of her cousin's wrath.

Kai grabbed his red flannel jacket and started running out the door. Misty followed him, fuddling with her tuquoise cardigan, running almost as fast. "KAI!" she shouted. "What!?"

"They want that crown! The crown that Ching gave to Derren before she died!" he huffed. His lungs were burning from the cold air pouring in and out of them at speed. "That's where they went! They went to Mystic Forest because Zatana called them there about this! They knew since last night!"

"What are we gonna do!?" Misty almost bumped into her husband when he abruptly stopped. She looked up at the sign and sighed. It was Nya and Jay's garage.

"You run to Zane and Skyla's! Lindsy and Lloyd should be there with Willie… they were going to stop there before they went to the mall" Kai nudged her. She hesitated. "GO! I'll get Cole and Dana after this!"

She rolled her eyes and dashed off for the others. She took out her silver flip phone and shook her head. "Man, why didn't Kai just call everyone?" she sighed as she dialed numbers and quickly walked.

**Enjoying so far? Haha Misako you should stop teasing your husband... Willow you're too cute and I have some interesting twists for you all hahaha... **

**This one is coming along way better than the original copy I was trying XD I'm even coming up with 6th installment ideas... oh gosh XD**

**Who do you think will die in this one? I'm sure on a couple deaths but, who do you think ;) **

**Anyways, thanks for reading! :D Have good day :)**

**~Mar**


	6. Chapter 5

Dana shut the white cage quickly and stuck her face up to the cage bars and laughed. "Not today Mickey!" she laughed and stuck her tongue out as the budgie squawked angrily at her. "I let you out long enough!"

Cole walked in, carrying a box of new shipments and shook his head. Only his wife could have a conversation with a caged bird. From behind him, Tiny, Dana's big as life Rottweiler bumped him with his big, wet nose, forward. He set the box on the counter and threw the dog a rope toy to mess around with.

His darker skinned wife had finished her laughing at the bird and turned around, "new stuff?" her hands gripped the counter behind her and looked at the cardboard box.

"Yep… hey… do you think you can sell all those rabbits in a month?" Cole thumbed to the rabbit hutch at the other end of the fair sized pet shop.

"_All those rabbits_?" Dana blinked. She quickly walked over and looked in the hutch. "Oh great… getting busy again?" she grabbed a large black and white spotted rabbit and placed her back in the right hutch. "Cole, I said to keep the females away from the male pen!" she scolded him.

"How can you tell?! They all look the same!" Cole argued with a fair point. She certainly had a great passion for animals.

"GUYS!" they heard the muffled yell and looked out the window of the shop and saw Kai waving to them in big motions.

They ran outside to see what was up and why he looked so out of breath. "Kai? Kai what is it?"

"Ellen… kidnapped… Pythor… and…" Kai leaned forward, hands on his knees for support. "Overlord… Lilith… all back! They… they want some eye thing and … and … uh…" he breathed heavily. "Ching's crown!" he coughed. "Man… do you guys have some water?" he dryly swallowed and looked up, panting.

The two were more stuck on everything else that Kai said BEFORE the water request, which is why they didn't move. Kai leaned against the glass windows and wiped his sweaty, red face.

"Many things are wrong with that sentence you just said…" Cole folded his arms.

"I swear… Ninja's Honor!" Kai held his hand up, swearing by it.

Dana flipped the open sign to 'closed' and locked the door. "Then let's go…" she started running ahead of the boys.

"Guys!?" Kai called, still heavily breathing. A pair of keys were flung at him and picked them off the ground."What the-?" he looked at them and then back up to the quickly shrinking characters.

"Water cooler's in the back!" Cole yelled as the couple dashed off. Kai rolled his eyes and went inside.

"Where's Kai?" Zane asked as Dana and Cole walked into the shop.

"Got tired out," Dana was quickly breathing from the run over there.

Skyla quickly flipped the sign to 'closed' and closed all the blinds so no one could see in at their little ninja meeting that was coming to order. All they were waiting for; was Kai.

"What's going on?" Willow sat up straight for the bar stool at the front counter. "Did something bad happen again?" she frowned.

"Yea Willie…" Lloyd sighed, nodded to his younger sister. "And apparently mom, dad, and Derren didn't want us to know… even though I _am _the green ninja…"

Lindsy rested her head on his shoulder, "hey, we all should have known…" she kissed his cheek.

Everyone jumped when they heard quick knocking on the glass door. Nya quickly went over and looked between the blinds to see Kai trying to get in. The orange ninja unlocked the door and opened it up to her brother who plopped himself in a seat as soon as he got in.

"Now… since the magical council is calling a meeting… I say the ten of us… the original team, has one too!" Dana folded her arms.

Everyone was upset about not being let in on everything. To make it worse was that Caleb, Megan, and Aaron knew about it before even them, and they were all on the same ninja team!

"So, what are we gonna do to help?" Jay asked. "I mean… we don't know anything other than what Kai and Misty saw on the TV…"

"Well… uh…" Kai bit the side of his cheek.

"Okay, why not just crash that meeting like what we did with Megan last year?" Cole suggested.

Everyone looked around, it was all they had. "Okay then… we grab the Bounty and head over there then," Zane nodded.

No one proposed any new ideas so the ten, plus Willow, filed out to head up to the top of the apartment where they kept the Destiny's Bounty and decided to set sail for the forest they had not been to in quite some time.

Lindsy was in one of the rooms underneath by herself when Lloyd walked down and found her there, she looked up and tightly smiled. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" he sat next to her.

"Yea, I'll be fine," she waved off like nothing would go wrong.

"I'm scared you know…" the green ninja quietly said. She nodded and bit the inside of her lip and leaned on his shoulder. "I am…" he looked to the side. "What if… the kid doesn't like me? What if I turn out… uh… like my dad?"

"Lloyd, you're the green ninja… it is highly unlikely you will have to face your son in a battle to the death," she folded her arms. "You've been acting so weird around me ever since I told you…" she frowned. "You can't even hug me or even touch my stomach without tensing up…"

"I'm sorry…" he hugged her. "It's just… well… wait how do you know it's a boy?" Lloyd blinked, backtracking on the conversation.

Lindsy shrugged, "I don't know… I wanted it to be a surprise but, I think I just know," she looked down at the bump in her abdomen. She had a thick, lavender sweater on and a pair of light blue jeans. Her brown hair was tied back in a messy bun. To Lloyd, she was the most beautiful thing ever.

"Isn't it funny how we both dreamed about marrying the other like the dorky fans we were," Lloyd chuckled. "I mean… seriously when you think about… you were a singer I fell in love with…"

"And I fell in love with the hero of Ninjago from afar," she smiled, kissing his cheek.

Lloyd quietly groaned and rolled his head back, he heard his own neck crack. "I just don't see how Zane can be so chill about things you know?" he looked down at his sneakers.

"Alright everyone let's get rolling! We're here!" They heard Nya's voice over the intercom and they stood up. As they walked outside, down the ramp, a pair of the guards came up to them.

"You were not invited-"

"Save it Julian my parents and grandma are here," Willow marched past him proudly, stepping along as if she owned the place.

"Yes Miss Garmadon," the black haired guard in the turquoise and black robes sighed as he walked the way she was going.

"Come on…" the other one, Michael led the other ten in. "The council is underground at the moment with the… artifacts in question of Ellen Bird's captors. "You must wait until they return… I will notify them that you are here".

Ellen's head hung down as she tried to sleep but being strapped in the position she was in made it rather hard to do so. Her mouth and throat was dry again and she lifted her head, trying to flip her long, platinum waves out of her filthy face.

"Hey… I got you…" Zach sat himself on his haunches and brushed her hair out of her face. "Are you thirsty again?" he politely asked her.

"Yea…" she coughed.

The brunette looked around and went to get her a drink. "How sweet…" she looked over quickly. It was his two younger brothers. "Zach really fancies you…"

"And you are?"

"Greg and Dante…" the red haired one said. "I'm Dante," he thumbed himself. He cheekily smirked, "And if there's anyone you be getting cutesy with… it's me and not him," he thumbed to Zach with a chuckle.

"Why are you three here?" Ellen looked up. Her neck ached but she pressed on. "You all seem like decent enough guys… why be evil? There is so much more to this world…"

"But this isn't our world…" Greg quietly said.

"We died a hundred years ago… or well, just about," Dante looked down, hints of sadness in his face as well as the other two brothers when he mentioned that.

"We do what our mother wants because we have known nothing more… and our father abandoned us and was hauled away like the criminal he was…" Zach sat down, staring at the floor, clenching his left hand into a fist.

Ellen couldn't help but laugh. They all looked at her like she was crazy. "No… you see…" she laughed. "Your father was not evil… not in the slightest… I know because your sister and I researched it all ourselves and he was a noble and worthy man…"

"Anthony Darklis was… noble? And good?" the three younger brothers asked, curious now.

"If you break me out of here… I promise that no harm will come to you… what… what do you say?" she pleaded.

Zach looked at his two brothers, "It's your call Zach… whatever you want to do… make a decision and we'll stick with you…" Dante nodded.

Zachary stood up, looking at Ellen's kneeling form. "Only if you tell us what our father really was and did… don't lie… okay?"

"I tell nothing but the truth," she opened her eyes. "But can you please loosen my chains?"

**Dana should have her own fic series I swear... believe it or not I did not like my OC Dana very much at first but I like where I took her :) I can see it now "The Messy Pet Stories of Dana Hoffman Stone" **

**BTW this is only gonna be about twenty chapters before I break things off... everything will pick up right away in the 6th story... I call that one "Seven Sins" for now anyways... **

**Willow look at you, walkin round like you own da place! You spoiled brat! XD **

**I like the next chapter because Ellen tells the story and I'm fairly pleased with it... **

**I am growing so attached with Zach and Dante XD IDK why but I just am XD And BTW everyone who keeps asking about Cody... he is platinum blonde with hair and fringe that comes down over his eyes and down his neck a little ways. He's scary as hell and will not think twice before killing you. Di not think of TDI when here his name in this. **

**Okay so that's it! Have a good day or night :D**

**~Mar**


	7. Chapter 6

Wrists, better freed, Ellen sat cross-legged, "Now tell us," Greg demanded. She nodded.

"Over a hundred years ago there was a Caster proclamation that would take away the powers of any Caster who misused their granted magic. One of them was Anthony Darklis". Ellen started. "But he ran away. He ran and ran and ran… and just when the Council caught up with him, a Caster child was being attacked by fire wolves. She was bloody and beaten, and with the council on his trail he stopped to help her with his magic…

The Casters took away his magic before any explaining could be done and then they discovered that he saved one of their own, almost dying himself… but once it's taken, nothing could be done and they made Anthony an agent on behalf of them, wiping all debts away. He was then sent off to uncover the cult of the Shadow Clan, the Overlord Worshipers".

The three brothers were playing close attention to her story and kept looking around to make sure the door were still sealed and Pythor or the Overlord, or even their brother and mother were coming back. They weren't.

"He went in with intent of pretending to join the cult. He wanted to gather some information and would have been ready to leave after a month… but then he fell in love with a woman. A beautiful tempter with wild maroon red hair and icy cold eyes. She was in training to be a priestess of the order but when she met him, she abandoned the priesthood and married him.

Already the Council was losing faith in Anthony, but he assured that marrying a woman of the cult would uncover even more, since she was high in the ranks of the cult, so they allowed it and stayed away a while longer. They had passionate love that brought them twins…"

Ellen lowered her head, "That would be Cody and your unnamed brother…"

"The sacrifices of the first born males and females… right?" Dante quietly asked.

"You know it" Ellen looked away. "The cult rules said that if you had a first son, you sacrificed him and same with a girl…" she sighed. "Then they had then you three," she smiled at the brothers. "Then, the priest deemed your mother incapable of bearing anymore after that. And so they ridiculed her for not sacrificing a daughter she never could have.

Anthony stayed with her though because he promised himself he would try and save his wife and take her away from there. The night they were told they could not have another child; they hid away in their room. Months later they readied to give birth to a daughter…"

"Meg," Dante smiled a little. Enemy of their mom or not, they loved their baby sister and that was certain.

"Lilith already was growing accustomed to Anthony's love of life and refused to sacrifice their first daughter for fear of never having another one… so she accepted Anthony's offer to run… run and never look back. And they chased them. Anthony was afraid that until she met with the Casters and was forgiven for the cult, the citizens of Ninjago would chase them too, so they hid just outside the city".

"Yea and then the Council captured our dad and murdered him," Dante innocently said, thinking it was true.

"No," Ellen shook her head. "In fact quite the opposite on who betrayed who… everything went wrong a week into hiding…"

_"Lilith, this way, hurry!" Anthony took his wife's hand and hurried her along. It was raining and windy with a full moon over their heads poking out of the dark clouds, _

_"Anthony, I'm getting close, I can't keep this up, please," Lilith was almost in tears, clutching her stomach in pain. _

_"We'll find a safe place to have the baby, I swear," He held her close to his chest. "This way now. Come on boys!" He called to his four sons who were following close behind._

_"There you are," Falga walked around the corner with Zatana, Diella, Delilah and the others. _

_"I'm here, with the rest of the information, just like I promised," Anthony bowed, letting go of his wife, lowering the cloak hood. _

_"What's going on here?" Lilith looked around. Not understanding what was going on when the group bowed back. _

_"Lilith, come," he extended his hand gently with a tender smile. _

_"What is this!?" she demanded to know. "You were a spy!?"_

_"I am…" he admitted. "But I love you all the same, come with us and forget the cult… it is evil. I know you are not truly bad at heart"._

_"You'd think that huh?" she spat at him. "I gave up being a priestess for you… and now you're an enemy? I hate you…"_

_"Lilith, do not make this harder. He wants to help you," a young Delilah stepped forward with soft features and no signs of age. "You are about to give birth any day now, we will protect all of you"._

_"Casters are liars… you prance around like you are the ones to control us…" Lilith's pale face frowned in disgust, backing away._

_"And you rather the Overlord in charge?" Falga snapped back at the woman. _

_Lilith growled in frustration and the Casters put anti magic cuffs on her and led her along. Anthony looked at his sons. "Come on boys," he took the youngers' hands._

_The Casters led them to the Magical Forest where Lilith was seated and questioned in the starkly lit meeting hall. _

_"If you are being chased by your own people then why defend their ways still?" Diella's blonde curls fell along her shoulders as she leaned forward. _

_"I am who I am… the Overlord will liberate my people from the shadows…" she defiantly said, looked away from them. "We will rule this world with him"._

_"They. Want. To. Kill. You." Anthony looked at her. "Please. What else can you do?!" He gripped her narrow shoulders through her dark purple fabric._

_"…take my cuffs off… please," Lilith started crying. "I want to be free… I will do anything…" She hung her head low._

_Falga cautiously looked at her, then removed the cuffs herself. Lilith looked back up, smirked, and casted a spell and disappeared along with her sons. "LILITH?!" Anthony looked around._

_"She used black magic…" Zatana whispered, covering her mouth. _

_"Lilith… my sons… my baby girl…" Anthony collapsed. _

_"It's okay…" Falga kneeled down next to him. "I am so sorry…"_

_"I'm going to find her… she couldn't have gotten far…" Anthony pushed Falga away and ran out the doors. _

_"Anthony!" Galeo yelled after him. _

_"Ah leave them"! Kaifus growled. "They are a lost cause!" He looked away from his brother._

_"Lilith… oh Lily where are you?" he looked around. _

_"AAAAAAAH!" the scream made him jump. He looked around. _

_"Lily!" He yelled back. He ran through the trees, following the sound of screams, cries and shouts. "Lilith!" He found her, leaning against a tree. "Where are the boys?"_

_"Ran ahead," Lilith panted. "Get away from me you liar…" she glared up at him. _

_"Hate me or not, that's my child in you… those are my sons you sent ahead," she slipped to the ground and he kneeled next to her. _

_"I will always hate you… you… you arrested me with them…"_

_"You wouldn't have come either way!" he pleaded with her. "Please… please, I love you so much," he begged her, squeezing her hand. "Please…" he started crying. _

_"Give up and save your breath," she gritted her teeth. "AHHH!" _

_"Shhh," he hushed her. "Come on… like the others…" he sat in front of her. "Whether you run from me or not, I'm too good of a person to leave you here like this…"_

_"Save your pity you fool," Lilith hissed as she lay back more. "What does it matter to you?" _

_"I married you… this is my daughter… now unless you want to die from spite… push…" he looked at her hard. _

_Lilith did as she was told, grudgingly, if she wanted to get away there was nothing more to do. Anthony pulled out a small traveling blanket from his carry satchel from before and readied it as she gave birth to their daughter. _

_"Megan…" Anthony looked at her. _

_"Don't… don't you dare name her," Lilith panted with exhaustion, her face was red and sweaty but freezing from the wind. _

_Anthony shivered and held Megan close to him, bundling her up tightly._

_"I heard something over here!" _

_"Lilith… I suggest that you get out of here…" Anthony looked at her. "Unless you want to stay… for me… give up your powers… everything…"_

_"Why?" she whispered. "You're the good soldier… turn me in…" _

_"I can't…" he looked her in the eye. "I love you more than I have ever loved a woman…" he looked at the baby girl in his arms. "She's so beautiful…" _

_"You use to say that about me…" Lilith breathed. _

_"Well I'm taking her…" Anthony stood up. _

_"I just gave birth…" she looked up, "And you want to take my child from me and have me run for my life-?" _

_"I'm giving you a chance to leave and sort things out for yourself…" he corrected her, cutting her off. "To start anew and you may return to me if you so desire…"_

_"I don't need your charity!" she hissed between her teeth._

_"Mom…" The four boys slid to a halt. _

_"… boys... u…use your magic… get me out of here…" Lilith looked up at them._

_"What?" Zach looked up. Dante and Greg looked at each other as well. _

_"Get me out of here!" she snapped again. _

_As they were told, Cody was the one who stepped up, obeying his mother, the five disappeared; leaving Anthony and Megan alone until the Casters ran in. _

_"What happened?" Diella looked around. _

_"I… I have a daughter…" Anthony let a tear slip _

"That is the real story about you…" Ellen looked up. "Your mother was spiteful to the last breath… and then a year later your mother kidnapped Megan…"

"I can't believe this…" Dante held his head. "I can't even remember any of this!"

"I can't either…" Greg whispered.

"Or me…" Zach covered his face. He was shaking and crying.

"You four were mind wiped by her and placed with fake memories… When Meg was five, your father died, quite young too…"

The three brothers looked at one another. "She has to be lying…" Greg choked. "YOU LIE!"

"Greg be quiet!" Zach barked at his brothers. He knelt in front of Ellen. "Miss Bird… I… I will run away with you…" he swallowed.

"Thank so mu-" she smiled up at him but was interrupted.

"… I think you're wonderful…" he quickly kissed her on her pale lips.

**The original version of this story, Greg, Zach, and Dante are still working for Lilith and the others and kidnapped Lindsy and stole the Caster crown and were later captured by a very angry Garmadon and Willow who wiped the floor with them. **

**As they were tied up, Megan told this story and Ellen was almost dead in her prison. There was also no affection whatsoever between Ellen and Zach, but I changed it. I promise you there is no love triangle though because I am not a fan of that stuff... once and a while MAYBE if it's good but no... **

**I was also reading something about female villains... and I decided that, no, Lilith is not a vileness who wants revenge on a man... she was raised in a cult and breathed darkness, vanity, and deceit. Anthony being a double agent just added to it. She worked to be pretty and Megan was born beautiful, more to add to her dark being. **

**All I wanna tell you guys is there is a plot twist... I haven't finished this one yet but it's almost done then I just need to read over some things and I'll start Seven Sins...**

**Thanks for reading :) **

**~Mar**


	8. Chapter 7

Ellen's eyes were watering. She loved Derren, she truly, truly did. But now things happened and he heart was split between him, the one who swore to protect her. She knew he was trying to work how he could save her now. But thing is… he wasn't here.

If he wanted to try and save her he would at least be in a cell at her side. He didn't come like the hero she wanted and needed him to be. Maybe she was just over fantasizing things now but, instead, a boy from the other team, offered to help here, to risk death by his mother to help her; she was drawing closer to him now. He even believed what she said as soon as she said it. Ultimate trust.

"I cannot make this decision now…" Ellen shakily said. Zach reluctantly unlocked her cuffs. "I just don't know what to feel right now…"

"What is this!?" Wu demanded upon seeing the ninja and his niece. "Why are you all here?"

"We're not students anymore sensei… you can't just tell us what to do anymore," Jay spoke up, shaking his head.

"You called a meeting without us," Cole folded his arms. "And here I thought we were gonna be honest with each other in magical affairs ever since Amelia joined the Casters?"

"It's not like that guys," Megan and Caleb came out from behind the others. Aaron was behind them too.

"You guys are ninja like us!" Dana growled.

"It's true, you are on our team and you guys simply go behind our backs and not even tell us what was going on," Skyla shook her head.

"You all seemed pretty wrapped up in your lives," Zatana looked down. "I did not think you would be want to be bothered by things you did not need to be a part of…"

"You're wrong," Lindsy spoke up.

"Yea, no matter what we might be going through, we are Ninjago's protectors!" Kai's brown eyes narrowed.

Garmadon walked over to Kai and looked down. Kai forgot how much shorter he was and how tall Garmadon was compared to everyone else. "And correct me if I'm wrong but two of your ninja is very pregnant Kai… one is my daughter-in-law; you want to endanger the girls?"

"That would our choice… not theirs," Lindsy bit her lip, though she rather agreed.

"What are you even looking at here?" Zane asked. "What was so important where you had to drop everything in the middle of the night to come here?" He interrupted.

Everyone exchange glances before Delilah sighed. "Come… we shall tell you everything…" they started back inside the manor.

Misako felt a tug at her sleeve and looked down with a smile. "Hey momma!" Willow giggled.

"Well hello my brave girl," Misako picked her up. The youngest was small, like she was at her age. "What did you do today?"

"I hung around Zane and Skyla," Willow said at they walked in.

_"Ellen is escaping…" Ching ran in, green dress swaying around her hips and thin, black curls bouncing on her shoulders. _

_"She is, is she?" Diella looked up from her seat and smiled. "Well did you tell the master?" she turned her head and looked at Ching even though she was blind. _

_"Already knew," Ching shrugged. "Come on… the council is showing the ninja the eye!" she ran back out. _

_Diella stood up and stretched. "If I'm am spirit now why would I still be blind?" She touched her eyelids. _

"DIELLA NO!"

_The blonde flinched, hands retracting, hearing the echoing scream of her little sister months ago. Had it really only been three months since her death? Her hands clung to her shoulders and she walked on to where Ching left to._

_"… echoes of my past… that is all they are… my mistakes…" she decided for herself. "Time to help mend those mistakes…" _

"Shh…" Dante looked ahead. He poked half of his face around the corner. "All clear so far…" he whispered.

The three brothers and Ellen quickly tried to make their way through the underground chambers without their steps being heard.

"My my, what do we have here?" They all spun around. Materializing from the shadows, scale by scale, was Pythor. "Trying to escape are we?" he looked at the brothers.

"Get back Pythor," Zach pulled out a sword.

The Serpentine laughed, "Come now, you think such old weapons will be a match against this?" he pulled out one of Ellen's pistols.

The Darklis brothers stood in front of Ellen. "We know the truth…" Greg growled. "Where did Cody and our mother go?" they asked.

"And the Overlord..." Dante added. "We haven't seen anybody around here…"

"My my…" Pythor shook his head; his tail was swishing back and forth on the cold, stone floor in sync with his head. "Let's just say that your sister and friends will be quite dead soon…"

The four looked at one another in horror.

**... yep... I set up a love triangle without having a love triangle... this is what I hope Nya would do in season 3... because I can't take the constant back and forth with Jay and Cole... so Ellen feels split up a bit so she's backing out of the dating game. **

**Haha so uh, thanks for reading :3**

**~Mar**


	9. Chapter 8

"Well, they need to be dead, so… what do we do?" Zane covered his mouth, trying to come up with something.

"Our we still forgetting that they have Ellen?" Derren grumbled. His chin was on the table and his arms were folded around him, hiding the lower half of his face. Willow got up and hugged him from the side. "Thanks sis…" He quickly kissed her head.

"WATCH OUT!" everyone turned to the door. Cole quickly opened it and found outside, the guards were charging ahead with their spears and javelins.

"What the-?" Zatana stepped outside. A fire ball flew in her direction but she spun out of the way. Her raven black hair swished back and forth.

Her golden eyes narrowed and then she saw them. The guards were all flocking to the secret underground cavern where they were keeping the special items of interest.

Though unlike what she first thought, the guards were not fighting off a pack of fire wolves, no, those came out at night and the sprites never attacked anybody who lived on the manor.

Ming ran to her grandmother's side and sighed. "I think we have unwanted guests…" she quietly said.

"Ming, I want you to go into the forest and get the gold sprites…" Galeo was standing in the door way with Zatana. "We will handle this…"

"I'll go with her," Aaron grabbed her hand and the couple ran around the side of the manor to disappear into the forest around them.

"Who wants to fight?" Zatana popped a couple of her knuckles. She drew out her staff with the golden gem and slammed it into the ground.

"I'm staying inside with Lindsy and Skyla," Lloyd quickly said, looking back inside. The two looked incredibly worried.

"I'll stay back as well…" Cole looked down. "Gonna need more than your power to protect them…" he smirked at the younger ninja.

"Skyla is my wife, I'll stay," Zane folded his arms.

"My brother's power is water… you can do some damage against him," Megan shook her head. She jumped as a stream of water was aimed for her head. She rolled out of the way and started running in to where he was; fist ready for slamming against his handsome face.

"Hey I'll be fine," the black hair ninja in yellow smiled and kissed his cheek. "Now go and freeze frosty," she giggled.

Lilith laughed and flicked her hand forward again, sending more hot balls of flames at the guards, her one eye shifting around their surroundings. "Okay… all you need to do is get into there…" she backed up against a tree and looked to the Overlord's gaseous form. "In there is a perfectly preserved body of my husband…"

"How would you know?" the Overlord asked her.

She smirked, "You really think they'd let such a hero's body decay?" He did not answer her. "Just go… with a mortal form you could help me better…"

She heard him mutter something and left. Since he was nothing but a floating orb of gas, not much could be done about him.

Ming ripped through the foliage around her as she ran through. She tripped though, twisting her ankle. "Ouch!" she hissed.

Aaron caught up with her and picked her up bridal style. "I got you," he kissed her forehead and kept moving, carrying her along the way.

"I'm… I'm afraid we may not survive this and leave Brittny all alone," her hand clutched the folds of his golden ninja suit.

"We'll get through this Ming, don't you worry about a thing!" He looked forward. "Now, let's find those sprites like what your grandmother said".

Ming was let down and she started limping and leaned against a tree and looked up, "Hey it's me… intruders in the manor…"

Like a cloud of gold dusts the creatures must have been incredibly small. Aaron smiled as the cloud swarmed around him and Ming held a hand to her mouth and giggled. "They say they like your ninja suit Aaron".

"Uh… thanks," he laughed and looked at the cloud. "But like Ming said, uh, we should move".

"So that's the plan… the Overlord is gonna take over our dad's perfectly preserved body for his own and mom is gonna get Amelia's demon eye…" Zach clenched his teeth together.

Pythor chuckled. "Yes, now boys, move over so I can shoot the woman," he aimed the gun again. Claws were poised to press the trigger.

The three brothers looked at each and shook their heads, "Go ahead… shoot… Megan will kill you for sure," they narrowed their matching blue eyes.

"No… back away," Ellen split them apart. She pulled the outstretched collar of her green turtleneck sweater and crackled both set of knuckles. "Come on scaredy snake. Me and you… no guns, unless you're scared".

"Oh my, you are a tough one to crack…" he smiled wide, fangs showing. The Serpentine tossed the pistol to the corner of the room.

The three boys stayed back, not sure what to do. Ellen stalked forward; then ran into it, throwing her fist into the Anacondrai's narrow face.

Lindsy listened to the fight going on outside. Her teeth were on edge but Skyla seemed to be completely at peace. The purple ninja was on the verge of tears.

The four ninja jumped when they heard the heavy wooden doors opened and shut. It was Garmadon. "Damn that woman is hard to fight…" he breathed heavily, leaning against the doors.

"Ahh," Lindsy voice raised. Lloyd's head snapped up and to the left to look at the brunette. She bent over in her seat, arms wrapped around her stomach.

"Lin…" the blonde ninja got on his knees in front of her. His hand raised her face up. "Lin… are you okay?" Her blue eyes looked frightened. "Oh no…"

"What?" Cole walked in. "What is it?"

"It's the baby…" Lindsy hissed through her teeth.

**Oh gosh I'm trying to update all my stories *faints* man why do I need to do so many projects?! Oh yea, because I'm me... I swear after this one I'm taking another break, maybe a little over a month... It's so hard ;-; **

**Thanks for reading though. Any ideas on what will happen next? Think Ellen will beat Pythor to a pulp? How about Lloyd? Haha he's pry gonna faint like an old lady... **

**Haha well see guys around :) **

**~Mar**


	10. Chapter 9

Lloyd seemed almost paralyzed, sitting in front. "Lloyd?" she started crying. "Lloyd please… say something," she shakily raise a hand to touch his face, brushing his blonde hair back. "Anything".

Garmadon was watching the two from a distance. He finally walked over and lightly kicked his son in rear end.

"HEY!" Lloyd turned around to see his dad standing behind him.

Garmadon folded his arms, "Come on… this way is to the rooms… help Lindsy up…" he told his son.

"But it can't be coming… not yet…" Lindsy looked up, crying in pain. "It's more than a month away…" she shook her head.

"Lindsy… Lloyd…" Garmadon addressed both of them. "I watched and helped my own wife have five children… one, was you Lloyd…" he looked down at his youngest son. "And I remember the terror of having Derren… this is how it started… now damn it Lloyd, do like I said!"

Ellen's head was banged against the stone floor several times. She felt dizzy and almost threw up from the pains in her head. She reached to grab Pythor by his long, disgusting neck and end him but she couldn't.

Now his own claws were around her neck, strangling her. She gasped for air and her right arm flailed at nothing.

Zach had tears in his eyes just watching it. "ELLEN!" Zach finally ran forward and tackled Pythor. Grabbing his throat and they toppled off Ellen who gasped and sucked in as much air as she could, choking on it even.

She sat up quickly, her head still hurting and she saw black spots in her vision. She gripped her head and then looked at Megan's brother fighting for her. Her hands clutched her shirt, over her heart and tried to breathe steadily.

Pythor gasped for breath and finally he started to disappear again. Zach was thrown back against the wall and coughed from the impact. They heard slithering noises and knew that Pythor was escaping.

"Brother!" Greg and Dante ran over to their older brother who's head was spinning.

Ellen sat up on her knees and then got all the way up. "Come on…" she swallowed hard. "We should leave… find my friends…" she tucked some hair behind her ear and looked to the exit. "If he's hurt in any way… Delilah is a healer".

The black and red haired brothers lifted their half conscious brunette brother over their shoulders and helped to drag him along, starting their long trek to the forest.

"You're doing great…" Skyla smiled, tilting her head at her best friend.

Everyone who was not outside fighting was at Lindsy's side… all except for Lloyd. Lloyd who leaned against the old wooden door leading to the room his wife was in.

He jumped out of the way when he heard the click of the doorknob. It was his dad. "I…" his voice caught in his throat.

"You gonna go in there?" he narrowed his eyes. "Be a man?"

Lloyd started sweating, "I… I…" he swallowed. "I'm just a kid dad…"

"But you chose to take adult responsibilities… you could have waited longer until you would have been mentally an adult… but you chose," Garmadon looked back in the room at Lindsy. "You decided to be a dad… what good am I?" he frowned. "I'm _your dad _and I couldn't even teach you right…" he sighed.

Lloyd looked back in at Lindsy. Her left hand was mindlessly grasping air at her side like she was expecting something to be there to grab hold of. Lloyd felt pain in his heart seeing her fingers flex with the pain she must be in.

Lindsy opened her hand again and then felt something slip into it; a soft, black, gloved hand. She quickly looked to her left and her eyes widened. They softened and more tears flowed from her crystal eyes. "Lloyd…" she bit her lip in a smile.

"I'm here…" he gave a small smile. "I'll always be here…"

"I'm scared…" she whispered.

Lloyd smiled, "Yea… I am too…" he admitted again. Looking down at the soft blue blankets over her chest.

"Lilith!" The wretched one eyes woman turned to the female's voice. "I brought friends…" Ming smirked. "I remember reading in Anthony's journals how gold sprites weakened the Shadow Clan magic abilities…" the gold dust in the air floated around her.

The maroon haired enchanter growled in frustration and looked around. "Overlord! Come on!" she looked for him.

"Having a body will take some getting used to…" they heard a cough.

The ninja looked around nervously. "Who… was keeping an eye on the Overlord?" Jay squeaked.

Nya slowly turned around to the underground cavern entrance with Kai and Misty. Megan covered her mouth and then her face turned to rage. "How dare you discriminate that body!" she pointed to the Overlord in possession of her father's body.

"Did you get the eye?" Lilith growled.

They heard a laugh and looked at Caleb to who was tossing the eye up and down in his hand with his father next to him. "This was my mom's eye that you tainted with your evil…" the red haired young man grimaced. "Like I would leave it off guard?"

"Give it to me!" Lilith ran ahead, practically tripping over her boots. Caleb and Wu split as Lilith charged at them.

The gray ninja looked behind him and smirked, seeing Lilith running after and turned around, running backwards and tossed the Demon Eye which sailed over her head and into the hands of Sensei Wu.

Lilith growled and started the other way. The Overlord and Cody as well as most of the others stopped fighting to look at the pathetic sight.

Megan frowned in disgust at her own mother and when her brother wasn't looking, she shot a shadow wave at him, knocking him to the ground. The Overlord turned around and the other ninja with Zatana and Galeo were surrounding him.

Ming and Aaron almost laughed when Lilith was completely distracted because she didn't see the gold sprites circling her. "Give it up" Ming shouted. "Gold sprites exterminate any shadow magic…"

"You might want to stand back Megan…" Aaron held a hand back to the shadow ninja who did as she was told.

"Get out of here," Lilith hissed at The Overlord and her oldest son.

The two started backing away from the ninja quickly surrounding them. "Who wants first crack at them?" Dana growled with a smile.

"Oh look at the time…" Cody quickly said and clapped his hands together, a white mist erupting from his hands.

"Come on, move it," Misako shoved Lilith forward.

Lilith laughed, "Oh look… I was held prisoner here… over a hundred years ago… just before I had you Megan dear". She looked at her daughter who didn't look at her, ignoring whatever she said.

Willow walked along playing with a couple of sprites around her and giggling as Zane and Jay walked next to her on both sides.

**Okay so what do you think happened inside? Remember? Who will live and who will die? **

**Let me just say... I plan to kill plenty lot of people you guys like in this one... maybe... who knows... maybe no good guys will die... maybe bad guys will convert to good?**

**Okay so thanks for reading! :D **

**~Mar**


	11. Chapter 10

When the others got inside they heard high pitched cries and rushed to where the noise was coming from.

Lindsy was in bed, looking peacefully asleep with a faint smile on her lips, her chest rising and falling like a slow metronome. Cole and Skyla were sitting a little aways and Lloyd was right next to the purple ninja with a purple bundle in his arms.

"What's this?" Nya opened the door all the way. She quickly ran over to look at what Lloyd was holding. The others quietly came inside too, curious.

"It's a boy…" Lloyd kissed the baby's head gently.

The small newborn opened his eyes. They were big, shiny emerald green orbs that curiously looked up at the ninja around him. He had soft, dark brown hair like Lindsy.

"A boy! Way to go buddy!" Jay put one arm around his friend.

"What did you name him?" Misty smiled, asking.

"Lindsy wanted to name him after my dad…" Lloyd looked down. The others quietly laughed. "I know I told her it was stupid… she also gave him two middle names of all things…"

"Sounds like she was planning it for a while then…" Zane looked at her sleeping in the bed next to them.

"Yea… for one she thought it was absolutely necessary for it to be Kai and my name," Lloyd chuckled as the baby wrapped his small fingers around his index and suck on it. "What happened?" the green ninja looked at the others. "I know something happened, so… how did you little tussle turn out without me?"

"Lilith is in custody but Cody and the Overlord escaped… he has Megan's father's body now…" Aaron shut the door quietly.

"We should call Yasmin and Violet… have them come over," Ming ran her hands through her long, dark hair. "I miss our baby…"

Outside the door, Misako came back from the cell she threw Lilith in with Delilah. She heard everyone inside quietly talking and found Garmadon leaning against the wall outside.

"Hey," she smiled. She looked at the doors.

"Hey…" he looked down at her. When her eyes looked to the door he smiled. "I'm proud of our boy…" he finally said.

"No way…" she looked back.

"It's a boy…" he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

Ellen and the three Darklis brothers walked on, "We're almost there… don't worry," she moved a branch out of her way.

"I just hope Pythor didn't get there before we did…" Dante sighed and ducked under the branch swung back from Ellen's grasp.

"You just need to be careful of the fire wolves here… oh and the honey foxes can be a bit nasty if you invade their territory…" she stretched. "Wonder how my birds are doing…" she quietly said to herself. "They get agitated when I'm not home a lot…" she looked back at the boys with a smile.

Zach watched her walk all the way here, listening to her stories and adventures with the ninja. His younger brothers noticed this and were constantly smirking at him.

They might have been teasing but it was true. Zach was falling n love with her and she was already dating one of the meanest guys in the world, and he was a Garmadon nonetheless.

It was getting dark out and everyone was around the meeting hall, even Lindsy who had to be helped out there.

"Okay…" Zatana sighed. "Lilith is in custody… now all we need to decide is what to do with her".

"Kill her".

Everyone looked down the table at Megan who was frowning greatly. Everyone was seeing an even darker side of her that was even scarier than finding out that she was made of the ancient stone when they first met her.

"Let's not be hasty-" Wu started.

"She's a thief, a murderer, and other things that I dare not say…" she pressed her lips together, not even feeling bad she cut off her sensei. "She worshipped the Overlord and now he's her teammate… I have a feeling she's more than a fangirl…" she folded her arms. "And… I don't want to bring up… well, when she abused me as a child…"

"Okay, so then… what about Ellen and Pythor?" Cole carefully brought up. "We still need to deal with that…"

Everyone cautiously dared to sneak glances at Derren who was slouching in his seat.

However, as they were all talking, they failed to know that all the guards at the manor were knocked out and never saw their attacker.

The invisible enemy slithered through the empty halls and taking out whatever guards were talking or hanging around until he found the cell of Lilith. He picked the rusting keys from the fallen look out and plugged the correct one into the lock.

Lilith looked up, startled. She was in somewhat of a straight jacket and then she smiled when she saw no one was at the door. "My my Pythor, you really scared me for a minute… you left my three boys to guard the prisoner then?"

"Your prisoner and second son attacked me," Pythor hissed. "They believed Ellen's story and now they're coming here…" He unlocked her straight jacket locks for her.

She stood up, and stretched her aching arms, "I always knew they were weak… even with my memory manipulation…" she rolled her head back, neck cracking. "Come on… they think I'm locked up… let us grab what I came here for… we'll handle whatever you want later…" she started walking outside.

"Good thing I have the keys," Pythor chuckled, the ring of said keys swinging around his long claws.

Lindsy kissed Lloyd's cheek, "I'm going to bed… we're tired…" she looked down at their sleeping baby.

Lloyd nodded, "okay… I'll be in in a minute," he looked back as she got up and slowly walked out of the long room.

"Maybe we should all go to bed…" Zatana looked around the room. Everyone seemed to agree. "For now… we'll all just-"

"Pythor and Lilith stole the Demon Eye".

Everyone turned around in their seats and saw Ellen, filthy and unkempt, opened the doors with Zach, Dante, and Greg behind her.

**Guess who has her birder?**** I do! :D **

**Anyways, I've been swamped with work to do... it's Spring break for me, and I NEED to catch up on watermarking the rest of my art in DA... some twit on instagram was being a big fat jerk and swiping and badly cropping my art so you couldn't see my signature... **

**I haven't been doing a lot of writing... in fact my dad thinks that the laptop(the one I use) has some sort of virus so yay... -_- I can;t even get on YT! Thank God that no one has been sending lines or anything... I think Google Plus is getting on everyone's nerves personally...**

**So anyways... yeeea... I'll update a couple more stories, but I cannot guarantee anything right now... crazy life...**

**thank you for taking the time to read though :) **

**~Mar**


	12. Chapter 11

**My computer problems seemed to have ceased for now and I can get in and update again :D If you follow me on DA, you'll know my issues with the main laptop. So now I promise, more updates! :D **

* * *

It was found to be so that the villain claimed one thing they were after. Derren was the only one not caring because all he did was tightly hold Ellen and seemed to not let her go.

Ellen's heart ached because of what she was planning to tell him next.

Derren was taken aback when she asked him to speak in private. At first he thought it was something about their enemies but the way she started the conversation, he knew where it would be leading.

"I don't know how to put this…" she looked away, out the window. "I know… I know you tried everything to save me… I'm sure of it…" she sighed. "But you always said if I was in trouble… you would be my knight… you'd save me no matter what and I believed that…"

"It wasn't easy with being the youngest on the council you know… I can't make any decisions… I even yelled at my own mother to try and get you…" Derren defended quickly.

"Listen… I loved you… I honestly still love you but… I don't know anymore about being anything more than friends… I don't feel anything like when we began dating," she folded her arms loosely.

Derren's heart beat quickened because he knew the words she'd say next. He tried not to let that happen and change her mind, "Ellen please; it's not my fault…" he took her hands. "I…" he swallowed. "I'll be honest… that date we were supposed to go on… I was gonna ask you to marry me…"

Ellen looked up at him, "Things happened…" she looked down, "I can't accept that offer at this very moment…" she withdrew her hands from his. "I don't know if I ever could have in the first place when I think about it… I'm sorry Derren… it's over…" she quietly walked past him and shut the door behind her to he wouldn't see her crying.

Derren stood, frozen in the spot. Ellen never saw what happened because she ran down the hall to her own room and buried her face in her pillow and started crying as quietly as possible.

The other slid back against the wall facing the door. He buried his own face in his hands and cried. The last time he cried was when Ching died.

Willow heard his crying and opened the door. "Derren?" she wiped her eye. He didn't answer. She frowned and quickly ran over and sat in his lap and hugged him. "Ellen… she ended it… didn't she?" she quietly asked.

He nodded.

Ellen felt dizzy. "What did I just do?" she whispered to herself. She sat on the edge of her bed and started crying too. "Did I do the right thing?" she looked down at her feet.

Megan folded her arms and looked at the three brothers sitting in front of her. She looked at Wu, Caleb, and the other ninja with her. "Well… fine, I believe you…" she sighed. "Welcome to the family…" she smiled.

"We're going to help you stop mom," Greg spoke up. "We promise".

"Nice to see some newcomers to our side…" Zane looked at the three as well. "And it's even better since you're Lilith's sons…"

The three young men looked down and nodded. "Thanks for having us though… it really means a lot that you guys trust us now".

"Come now… get some rest, all of you," Wu told the young adults in the room. Everyone got up and went to their rooms.

_"I don't understand… why? Why would Ellen break up with Derren?" Ching frowned, looking very sad. _

_Diella touched the teen's shoulder, "Ching, you died so young, you did not get to learn and understand that some people are not made for each other…" the blonde sighed. "Just keep watching… make sure that crown is safe…"_

_Ching still frowned and pulled her knees up to her chest. "My Derren, I am sorry you're crying but Willow is there for you"._

The next morning Zatana called in the boys. It was still dark out when they were practically dragged outside in the courtyard.

"What is it Zatana?" Kai yawned. He sat down on the cold stone on the courtyard floor.

The older woman sighed and adjusted her glasses, "I don't want the girls involved… I just want you five…" she looked around. "I have a way to stop Lilith and I know Megan would not like my methods… no one would like it…"

The five boys looked at each other and then suspiciously back at Zatana. "What? What is it then?"

She rubbed the back of her head and sighed, "Okay… we have to go back to Tribal Pit… there was an artifact that the ancient leaders kept… it's a shadow tool… the Black Urn," she closed her gold eyes.

"I don't even like the way you said that…" Jay swallowed nervously.

"Listen, it's an urn that's made from enchanted jasper and onyx…" she started. "The legend was that it can hold and imprison any soul. The only way it could escape was if you broke the urn". She explained.

The ninja looked at each other and nodded, "lead the way Z," Cole folded his arms and side grinned. "We're game".

"Wait!" Lloyd jumped, just remembering. He looked back at the manor doors. "Lindsy…" he bit his lip.

"She'll be fine Lloyd," Zane put a hand on the other blonde's shoulder. "The girls will protect her just fine".

"No…" Lloyd shook his head. "I… I don't think her or the baby is safe here…" he looked around at the trees surrounding the manor.

Zatana sighed, "Okay… I'll tell your father to bring them to her parents' house… is that better? Away from the action?"

Lloyd nodded meekly.

"Good then let's get moving," Cole threw his hood over his face they started moving.

Lilith played with the Demon Eye in her hand for a few moments, looking it over with a grin. "Once I put this in… I'll be immortal…" she flipped up her eye patch to reveal a disgusting hole where her real eye should be.

"Revolting…" Pythor muttered in disgust under his breath.

She heard him but chose to ignore it and plugged the fake eye into her empty socket. It glowed red and she laughed. "Well, that was a funny sensation… looks like I'll have to be getting use to another eye all over again…"

"What next?" Cody grinned.

"We get Pythor's toy next," she tied her hair back up in a ponytail and discarded her eye patch.

Megan fitfully slept as the sun started dawning. Caleb didn't even feel her tossing and turning and finally her tired blue eyes slowly opened. Her heart stopped though when she saw the pale blue and silver figure before her.

_"Good morning my Megan…"_ he smiled.

Megan quickly sat up. "Daddy?" she whispered.

He nodded with a grim look, _"The only reason I dare to come here… is because Zatana is going after the Shadow Urn…"_

"I read about that one…" she tossed her covers off and stood up out of bed. "I also read what have to do to seal a soul…"

_"Yes… I know I should not be the one to initiate a disruption but I don't want your mother sealed away in that urn,"_ Anthony looked at his daughter.

"Why not?" Megan frowned. "She's a devil…"

_"I love her…" _he gently said to her. _"I always had faith she could change"_

Megan's face turned into a worried frown, she shook her head slowly, "But she hasn't… she has no hope for redemption and I will let her be sealed… I'll even help Zatana do it…" she clenched her teeth.

_"Oh Megan, you are like your mother… you of all people should know to not condemn," _Anthony shook his head with a sigh. _"I love you my dark angel… maybe I'll see you again…" _

He vanished and Megan wiped her face to see that it was cold and clammy. She looked back as she heard the sheets and blankets shift and saw Caleb turning on his side, away from her. She held her cold hands around her arms and quickly lay back down.

****Updated** WHY THE HELL DOES IT KEEP REPEATING!?**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed it ^^;**

**~Mar**


	13. Chapter 12

"Lin will be fine…" Kai rolled his eyes as the green ninja kept babbling about leaving her alone and at her parents' house no less.

"Yea, you need to stop worrying so much…" Cole shook his head. He was about ready to knock the poor ninja out and carry him the rest of the way if it'd get him to shut up.

"M-maybe you're right…" Lloyd sighed and hung his head. "I'm paranoid is all probably…" his green eyes looked up at the rising sun.

Lindsy groaned as she carried her baby to the front steps of her parent's house. Garmadon was behind her and looked just as unhappy as she did.

They rang the door bell and a guy about Lindsy's height with amber eyes and wispy brown hair opened the tall, white painted door. "Lin!" he grinned wide. "I thought dad was joking! You're really stayin over?"

Lindsy smiled and hugged Garret with one arm, holding the baby in the other. When she let go he looked at the baby and grinned again, "Oh look at him! So proud of you sis," he kissed the top of her head and looked again. "What's his name?"

"Garmadon…" she smiled and looked up at Lloyd's father still standing on the bottom step who smiled back. Garret, no one minded him because he supported his sister all the way.

"Well, come on in… I'll try and hold mom down," he chuckled.

The two ninja stepped inside and tried to go upstairs before anything could happen. Garmadon had every intent of leaving right then and there when…

"Oh look who's paying a visit"

"Damn it…" Garmadon muttered under his breath. He turned around and sighed. "Hello Elaine…"

Lindsy's mother, Elaine had long dark, dark brown hair lined with silvery grays and shiny, conniving amber orbs for eyes on her porcelain face. Yep, pretty much the same Elaine Garmadon knew.

"So, you keep my precious baby girl away from me huh?" she walked over and pinched Lindsy's tan cheek. "Look at you… losing your beautiful porcelain complexion!" The young woman had grown strong and more natural looking with a just a few years of being with the ninja.

The purple ninja squinted her right eye as her cheek was being pinched and played with. She hated it so much. "Mother; stop it…" she shifted her sleeping infant in her other arm and pretty much smacked Elaine's hand away.

The corners of the older woman's mouth tugged down in a frown, "Well… Garret, help her with her bags…" she brushed her hands together.

"Mom, don't you wanna see her baby?" Garret raised an eyebrow. He knew she'd avoid it as much as possible.

Elaine seemed unhappy but folded her arms, "Okay, let me see her…" she tried to politely ask.

"He…" Lindsy corrected, "It's a boy…" Lindsy looked a little sad.

"Well, what did you name him?" she watched the sleeping baby face swaddled in dark blankets.

Lindsy bit her lip and looked at Garmadon standing behind her. He seemed to want her to tell him just because he wanted to rub it in Elaine's face. "Well, Lloyd and I named him Garmadon," she sweetly replied.

Elaine's face froze. Her eyes looked up at Lindsy, "What?" she shook her head a little. "You're kidding me dear…"

"No, I'm not…" Lindsy stood up straighter. "Lloyd didn't know what to name him and so I named him… and that is what I wanted".

"How does it feel Elaine?" Garmadon chuckled. "The kid was named for me and not you," he smirked.

"Oh get out of here!" she smacked him in the shoulder.

Lindsy stood in front of him before she did it again. "Don't do that…" her narrow eyebrows furrowed.

Elaine sighed, "Oh fine, Garret; help her with her bags… Garmadon… well I hope I don't have to see you again anytime soon," she tightly smiled.

"I couldn't agree more," the older adult zipped up his coat, "Lindsy, I'll pick you up when everything blows over and Lloyd gets back". Lindsy gave a small wave and he loudly shut the door after looking back at Elaine's smug look.

Garret quickly picked up Lindsy's two bags and just quickly helped her upstairs before anything more could go wrong in the first five minutes.

Zatana and the five boys looked down into the icy covered pit. Zatana motioned for Cole to swing his metal scythe onto the layer of ice and immediately cracked it. She lowered a rope and they started climbing down.

The five were shivering just looking at Zatana's sleeveless dress. "Okay boys, quit your shivering and let's get searching… I suggest the lowest rooms. These pits are expansive so try not to get lost please?"

The five looked anxiously at the long, dark tunnels and went down different ones and Zatana did the same.

As the tunnels got deeper, it seemed to get hotter and hotter. Jay took off his heavy blue parker and threw it over his shoulder as he kept walking, stretching the collar of his gray turtle neck out.

"I'm telling you, it's here somewhere!" Jay nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the echoing voices.

The blue ninja peeked around the corner of the stone walls. He found them; Lilith and Cody Darklis digging through rubble and ashes.

"I saw it in my dream last night…" she hissed. "I know that the urn is in here because this is where the priestesses showed me when I was an apprentice…" she kicked another piece of rubble. "OW!" she hissed and held her foot.

"Shouldn't we try and be quieter?" Cody kept his voice low.

Lilith laughed, "Yea right, like those stupid ninja are gonna be smart enough to come here!" she laughed again, putting her foot down.

Cody nervously removed another piece of rubble and there it was. A shiny, deep, almost black urn was in the small pit. Jay covered his mouth as he gasped. "I gotta tell the guys…" he croaked. He started to turn to run but Cody was eerily waiting for him.

"Well… hello there blue boy…" he smirked.

**Uh oh... Jay! Why do you always get into trouble first?**

**Thanks so much for reading :) **

**~Mar**


	14. Chapter 13

Each ninja darted off in the direction of Jay's yells. Each meeting up in the underground labyrinth. "What's going on?" Lloyd looked around.

"Jay?" Kai started yelling.

No answer.

"JAY?!" Cole shouted louder and was the first to run off.

Zatana calmly walked through into to old sacrifice room where Lilith was waiting with her oldest son and Jay, tied up. The urn was in her hands.

"Let's end this…" she pressed her lips together. The Caster took her ring off and turned it into her sword, armor coming with it.

"I couldn't agree more," Lilith narrowed her eyes. "But how can you kill me? You need to get close enough to stab the eye out," she cockily laughed.

"I don't need to stab you to kill you…" she looked at the urn in her enemy's hands.

"Oh you're not gonna touch this," Lilith smirked and placed it next to Jay. She took out her machete.

The ninja ran through the halls following the sounds of iron clashing with iron and the grunts and yells of two women. The louder the fight seemed to get the faster they tried to run.

Lilith's sword sliced a gash through Zatana's purple coronet and cold blood dripped into her gold eyes. She wiped it away and brought her own magic sword up before Lilith's could touch her pale skin.

"How do you suppose you're gonna get me in there anyways?" Lilith hissed with a laugh. "You need to sacrifice your own soul to do it!" She looked at Jay, "So that's why you brought the ninja? You're gonna sacrifice them to get me and the others in there?"

Zatana shook her head, "You really are demented…" she whispered. She locked eyes with Lilith, determination in hers, "I brought the ninja to carry the urn back…"

Jay's eyes widened when he heard that, "You can't sacrifice yourself Z!" he shouted at her.

Zatana made a lunge for the urn, grabbing it by one handle. The purple gem in her sword lit up and she glowed.

"Zatana!" they all looked back to see Lloyd, Cole, Zane, and Kai come in.

"I give up my soul to imprison yours," she clenched her teeth and went to grab Lilith. Instead Cody was in front of her and Zatana's hand was gripping his arm. Her gold eyes widened in horror.

Lilith had thrown him in front of her and her son looked back. She didn't even say sorry. "How could you?" Cody growled.

Before she could answer Cody… and Zatana were gone.

Zane had cut Jay loose and they all gathered around Lilith, looking very, very angry. Cole quickly grabbed the urn before Lilith could make a move. "Guys, come on, let's break it open!"

"Oh you think it's that easy? There's a price to pay when you sacrifice your soul to seal someone away like that…" Lilith frowned. "Break it and every evil spirit that was sealed in there will be released too… Zatana's soul isn't _inside _that urn… she gave her life force to the light realm to give power to give the permanent seal on Cody's soul".

"He was your own son, how could you do that to your own son?!" Lloyd clenched his teeth.

Lilith raised an eyebrow, "Oh did I strike a nerve? Why is that green ninja? Because of how your father and mother strove to protect you despite your father's venom?" Lloyd kept silent. "No… you had a son… didn't you?" she started laughing.

"Shut up," Lloyd choked.

"Oh boy, how delightful is that? Maybe I have a new leverage for this little game of ours…" she gave a devious smile.

"Don't you dare talk about my son like he's some sort of pawn for you!" the blonde lunged forward but Cole and Kai caught him by the arms.

"Lloyd, ignore her…" Zane told him carefully.

The green eyed ninja shook his head, "No! I'll kill you if you touch my son or Lindsy!" he threatened Lilith.

"They'll both be safe," Jay started helping hold Lloyd back. It took all four to do so which was impressive for the youngest ninja.

"Ta ta ninja…" she bowed and vanished.

Finally they let go of Lloyd who collapsed on his knees. "I'm going to Lindsy's house," he got right up and started running.

"We don't even know if Lilith knows!" Kai started after him first.

Cole picked up Zatana's lifeless body and Zane picked up the urn and followed with Jay out of the pit and back to the forest manor.

Derren mindlessly stared at Ellen in the courtyard. He frowned even more when he saw Megan's brother Zach come out and sit next to her.

"Hey," the brunette smiled at her.

"No…" she looked over at him. "I'm not doing this…" she stood up. "I'm just… I'm not dating or doing anything now… not until I get my head back on straight…"

"You're too smart for me Bird," he gave up, standing up as well. "But ya know… I hope you make a decision… not for my sake… but for your ex's…" he took a couple steps back. "You think he's upset over a break up… I think you are too…" Zach shrugged. "But I think there's a little more…" he looked at her. "You have mixed feelings about him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" she quietly said.

"How many weeks are you Ellen?" Zach sighed. "Six? Eight? Does he even know?"

"He might…" Ellen looked away. "It was an accident… we were on a mission on the Dragon Islands… and things got out of hand…" She blushed and folded her arms, looking away.

"Uh huh…" Zach looked down at his feet. "Well… Had I known earlier when I kissed you I wouldn't have made you so confused…"

Ellen gave a brief smile, "Well it takes a lot more than a kiss to confuse me…" the two laughed. "And no, It's just five… just five weeks…" she looked down at the stone and grass under their shoes.

"You should tell him then… for both of your sake…" he looked at her sympathetically. "I think he's really sorry…"

Ellen smiled, "You're right… he is and maybe I should… thanks…" she held his hand. "Megan's lucky to have a brother like you Zach…"

The brunette got up and left her alone. She closed her blue eyes and stood up herself to go inside. But then the ninja came back.

**They can never catch a break...**

**Thanks for reading :) **

**~Mar**


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